Fewer teens died in Ill. crashes in '08

SPRINGFIELD -- Sixty-two fewer teenagers died on Illinois roads last year than 2007 thanks largely to new driving laws aimed at keeping teens safe on the road, state officials said Tuesday.

The 40 percent drop coincided with a package of laws that required teens to spend more time using driving permits along with adding restrictions at night and when teens are passengers, said Gary Hannig, acting secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The package followed the Tribune's 2006 Teens at the Wheel series that highlighted the perils of teen driving.The number of teen deaths on the road increased in 2006 and 2007, when teen fatalities rose to 155.

But that number plunged to 93 teen deaths last year, the first full year that most of the new requirements were in effect.

In Illinois, graduated driving laws require teens to gradually work up to full driving privileges and eases restrictions as they gain experience and keep a clean driving record.

The new laws gave the state "one of the best graduated drivers' licensing programs in the nation," said Lt. David Dellert with the secretary of state police.

Through March 15 this year, 16 teens have died in car crashes, four less than the same period in 2008, but officials cautioned that the most teen-driving deaths happen between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The tougher teen-driving laws also "played a major role" in decreasing overall driving deaths, said Mike Stout, IDOT's safety director.